As a kid, I just assumed it was aesthetic. Like, someone for an audience of non-musicians to project themselves on to.
As an adult, I recognize that this is almost certainly not the case. Presumably the conductor plays a role that is necessary and helpful to the rest of the orchestra… but I’ll be damned if I can’t quite figure out what that is. Surely its not just timing? Can’t the players just… listen to one another to work that out?
It used to be that conductors gave rhythm by banging a staff on the ground. Baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Lully killed himself this way, by impaling his foot with the staff and developing gangrene.
i was wondering how sharp that rod must’ve been… for anyone else curious, wiki-p clarified he smashed one of his toes and subsequently refused to have it amputated